First Encounter
by obsidians
Summary: This story is how Reno and Tifa first met. This takes place just about when AVALANCHE is formed and he joins the TURKS. This was written in response to a PM asking for a story along these lines and this is what I came up with. Hope you enjoy it!


I don't own FF7 or its characters and make no money writing these stories.

Reno being new to the TURKS and determined to move up their ranks, he often took chances a more seasoned man would have paused to think about. However as his prey flew away in the helicopter, he thought nothing about launching himself upwards and clinging to the skids as it rose into the air.

He managed to stabilize himself on the skids as he brought his electro mag rod smashing against the window and the door opened and he reached inside and he grabbed the man, the helicopter pilot smashed a billie club over his wrist and Reno started to fall but managed to grab on his culprit with his other hand but the man managed to kick him hard in his side and down he went. He tried to seize the skid but his bad wrist wouldn't allow him to grip it and he started to plummet to the ground.

His life flashed before his eyes on the way down, it hasn't been much of one, pathetic in fact and way too brief. He hoped to die before he hit the ground, not wanting to go through the pain of smashing against Gaia. He could feel himself mercifully blacking out when arms seized him and he saw a flash of red before he passed out.

Vincent's tattered wings managed to support both their weight but the man weighed very little in fact. Carmine eyes examined questioningly what lay in his arms "you're just a kid" he said in his usual emotionless way as he winged it back to the house AVALANCHE had been provided as their base camp and turned his charge over to its main healer.

"Tifa, I have a patient for you" Vincent called to her.

The teenaged girl examined the man as Vincent laid him on one of the clinic bed. "I don't know him, where did you find him?" she asked the red caped man, though the unconscious man looked vaguely familiar to her.

"I was out scouting and saw him fall from a helicopter and caught him" Vincent explained.

"He's dressed awfully formal for skydiving" Tifa observed.

"With the way he's dressed and armed; I would say he's a TURK" Vincent observed from experience.

"Then we have to get this suit off him, we need to get him comfortable. It looks like his wrist is broken and needs to be set before it heals improperly. We should send for the doctor" Tifa said.

"Give him a shot to knock him out. I know all about bone manipulation from my time with the TURKS; torture is something we specialized in after all" Vincent explained to her.

Tifa dubiously did what he suggested and then the young man was stripped to his boxer shorts as gently as possible. Vincent seized his wrist and couple of sharp twists aligned and set bones that were needed to be, with a pained cry from the still unconscious man. Tifa soothed him with gentle talk and pets to his hair until he relaxed into her gentle touches. Tifa splinted it and placed his arm on a pillow. She ran her hands along his sides and quickly located three broken ribs. She gave the rest of him a cursory examination and finding no other injuries, tucked the blankets around him.

"Just what exactly did you do as a TURK?" she asked Vincent suspiciously.

"Sorry, that's classified" Vincent said and left.

Vincent left but called one of the few people he knew at the TURKS.

"Tseng" Tseng simply said without preamble by way of saying hello.

"Vincent" he answered back just as briefly. "Are you missing someone?" he said.

"You know that the identify of a TURK member is confidential" Tseng said.

"Okay, do you have a member who is approximately about the ages of seventeen to twenty with flame red hair that is short and spiked in the front and has a long ponytail in the back and facial tattoos of red crescents on his cheekbones?" Vincent asked him.

"Reno; I knew I should have insisted he get a decent haircut and dye his hair a dull brown colour" Tseng muttered.

"He's here with us, he was injured but not in a serious way" Vincent said, not bothering to explain where they were; they would know.

"I'm not admitting he's one of ours, but tell him to relax and we're sending a helicopter for him, he should learn to fly one if he's going to fall out of one and bumble into AVALANCHE'S inept hands" Tseng said and rang off soon.

Vincent returned to the clinic to tell Tifa how long they would have their guest with them.

Reno finally regained consciousness. "Water" he murmured when he came to and an arm went around him and he winched as his side hurt, someone helped him to lean up as a bottle of water was pressed to his lips and he drank thirstily.

"Are you okay?" a feminine voice asked him when he opened his eyes.

The female was close to his age with long dark hair and garnet eyes.

"Are you an angel?" he groggily asked her. Then he took in how she wore booty shorts and a white camisole. He wasn't religious, but was pretty sure that if there was a heaven of any sort, that they must have some kind of dress code for their heavenly crew.

"No I'm not" she said. "You're very much alive, Vincent found you when he was out scouting and caught you when you fell" she explained.

"Who's Vincent?" he asked her.

"He's…..it's a little hard to explain. He says you're a TURK based on the way you were dressed. Vincent once was a TURK just like you" she said.

"Once was a TURK? But we don't retire" he object. "We normally are killed in action" he explained.

"Something happened to Vincent that made him retire. It's better if you learn of it from him" Tifa explained. "I'm Tifa Lockhart" she introduced herself.

"I'm Reno" he said. "Wait I've seen you around, you're an AVALANCHE girl" he remembered.

"I've seen you around; you're a TURK for sure. So do you have a last name?" Tifa asked him.

Reno frowned at this, when you were a member of the TURKS, you didn't use a last name. You didn't legally exist. You used your own first name or chose one to use. "Sinclair" he said giving her his real last name.

"It suits you" she commented.

"Suits me?" he asked her.

"With your flashy look, a common name like Michael or Mark wouldn't suit you. You know, the hair, the tattoos" she explained. "The tattoos, can I ask?" she asked indicating to them.

"Sorry, I don't want to talk about it" he said.

Flashback

The blood was still drying on his clothes as the tattoos were applied to his face, they hurt as they were carved into his very flesh as the tattoo artist was tattooing right over bone but Reno made not a sound.

He was fifteen and had killed for the first time; you had to kill an existing gang member in order to get into the gang.

He had done what he could to survive after the death of his mother; he slept where he could and shoplifted for food. To live in the slums meant you sold something; be it drugs or yourself or joined a gang.

Reno's pretty boy looks had attracted potential customers to himself and he'd been flattered, it wasn't like he was a virgin, but that wasn't a step he was willing to take.

So he joined a gang, being in a gang guaranteed a home and hot meals, safety in numbers and respect. He didn't care about the politics of it, he was a survivor in the end. He felt bad about killing the other member, it would be a stain on his soul but he had done what was necessary.

"You're one of us now" his new leader had proudly said and Reno had smiled back though he felt dead inside.

End Flashback

"That's fine" Tifa said.

"Why am I naked?" he asked her.

"We had to take your clothes off in order to make you comfortable and then I had to remove your boxer shorts after Vincent set your wrist, you sweated a lot when your body went into shock so I had to sponge you down with cool water.

"I guess you're not a virgin" he said. "Sorry I had no right..." he started when she looked a bit shocked

"No; are you?" she asked him.

"Definitely not" he snapped back and was surprised when she giggled.

"I mean, perhaps I shouldn't have undressed you. You could be jailbait" she teased him.

"I'm eighteen and a half" he said indignantly.

"I love how you added the "half" part" she said.

"You're what, sixteen?" he guessed.

"Seventeen; no half" she said. "Nice to meet you Reno the TURK."

"Nice to meet you Tifa the AVALANCHE member" he said. "Could you get me something to wear?" he asked her. "Or am I a prisoner and this is one of your tactics to render me vulnerable?"

All mirth vanished from her face "you're not a prisoner, AVALANCHE doesn't keep prisoners, we're here to help people. You can go wherever you want but should remain in the clinic because of your injuries. There's washroom through there, I'll get you a bathrobe if you want to shower and I'll help you cover your splint" she offered.

"AVALANCHE doesn't like us, why did you help me?" he suddenly asked her and she sat down beside him.

"Vincent isn't political, he does what he feels is right like a true hero, all life is precious and yours is no exception even if you seem determined to throw yours away. As for me, a doctor saved my life once and want to become one once this is all over so that I can help people. Dr. Campbell really runs the clinic but he's training me, he's away today" she explained. "I hope you'll trust me" she said.

"I do for some reason" Reno said, he could sense no harm in her. "I would like to shower" he said.

"I'll go get you a robe and some clothes. Are you hungry?" she asked him.

"Always" he said and it was true, he had a high metabolism.

He had a shower while she returned with a plate of food and a t-shirt and lounge pants and a hairbrush.

"They might not fit, they belong to my boyfriend" she said apologetically.

He wore a bathrobe and took the hairbrush awkwardly in his right hand.

"Are you left handed?" Tifa asked him.

"Yes" he said.

"If you will permit me" she said indicating to a chair and reaching for the brush. With powerful but gentle strokes, she brushed his hair, from the shorter bits on top to the flow that fell to his hips. He completely relaxed into her touches, it had been a while since anyone had touched him so gently.

"Such a gorgeous colour" she complimented him.

"It's my natural hair colour" he said.

"I know; your carpet matches your drapes" she said and he actually found himself blushing from her candor.

"So you have a boyfriend?" he asked her to change the subject.

She paused and took a deep breath "it's...complicated. Awful things happened to him and he's no longer how he was. But that doesn't change anything, he and I are meant to be together. I just have to have patience. Once he's better, we're going to marry" she said with determination in her voice. "How about you? Someone as handsome as you has to have a girlfriend."

"There was someone but she's gone. I really don't believe in love" he answered with all honestly.

Flashback

Seventeen year old Reno dressed as all the other street rats did: in a combination of leather and denim and he wore his hair loose to his waist. His jeans were tight, worn and ripped, not like a pair of distressed jeans as you would buy new, they were the jeans of true poverty. Washed too many times and faded and ripped where they wore out the fastest. He wore a pair of black leather boot and t-shirt and black leather jacket. He normally slept with the female counterparts of himself, female gutter trash wearing similar outfits and armed to the teeth. Women liked his look and touch and he was popular with them.

The woman he was with had long, blonde hair and dressed expensively. She was the daughter of a government official and always smelled so clean compared to how the women he normally slept with smelled of fear and desperation. Her name was Marissa and she was one of those women that seemed to be drawn to bad boys, either for wanting to go slumming or just to make daddy mad.

He had taken her into his bed with no questions asked when they'd met at a party. She was so different from the other girls he had ever met. Her skin was so soft and smelled like flowers. She was gentle and soft spoken. Reno should have just spent the one night with her and let her return to her world but she kept seeking him out, breaking down his defenses until he fell for her like a ton of bricks.

"Mar" he said gently pushing her back to distract her busy hands on him. He needed her to pay attention to what he had to say.

"Yes Reno" she said, looking up at him.

"I have some good news. Remember how they were recruiting for that new program called the TURKS? I've been accepted, I just have to go through their training program to be accepted as a full member. You could come with me, I'll be able to support us both and when we turn eighteen, we can marry. We won't need your father's permission anymore. He'll have to accept me when I become a TURK" he said.

"I can't leave my family" she said.

"I joined up for us, this could our future" Reno said with a sinking heart.

"We don't have a future together, I'm sorry. We're just too different. I thought you were joking about wanting to marry me. Come on, we're having so much fun together" she said.

"You're right, I was joking" he said and allowed her to use his body however she wanted by way of saying goodbye. He left that night with his heart broken, abandoning his gang and her and slept in the park for a week before the training program started.

He passed the training program with flying colours and the next day found him being measured and put into the first suit he had ever owned. He immediately rid himself of the tie and unfastened some of the buttons, not liking how constrictive the collar was around his neck and untucked the shirt, not liking clothes tucked into his pants. He also left the jacket unzipped and then they were brought to the barber. The large Latino known now as only Rude had his long hair shaved and then it was Reno's turn.

"I want something different and unique, leave a little length to remind me of who I was and do what you want to the rest" he said and the barber put a section into a low ponytail and proceeded to snip here and there and then got styling gel out and spiked the now short hair on top of his head.

"That's good enough" he said as he showed him his new look.

Reno removed the drape and looked at himself, he looked so much different from his normal self. 'It'll do" he said and Reno the TURK was born.

The other new TURK and himself left together. Rude went to push back his hair and touched his newly bald head instead. "I could sure use a drink" he said.

Reno didn't do drugs of any description, he didn't even drink. He had seen too many friend get addicted and OD or become dependent upon them. He preferred to keep a clear head and a wary eye out, however he was out of the slums and hadn't a friend left in the world. "I could too" he said and he got drunk for the first time in his life and picked up a woman that night.

As much as Reno had been catnip to the local female gutter rats, so he became for the spoiled wives and daughter of the higher ups. Often he would be sought out when he shadowed the President and he would later spread their pampered thighs and scratch their itches to satisfaction. He asked nothing in return nor sought them out after. He allowed no one into his heart again, but his body was fair game to attractive women.

End Flashback

"You don't believe in love? But you have to, love is the most important thing in the world! You should find someone to love; promise me you will" Tifa said moving so she was standing in front of him.

"Okay, I promise I will. We'll go on double dates with you and your husband" he said, amused by how vehement she was on the subject but felt touched that she cared enough about him, a near stranger, to say that. "That scar, where did you get it?" he asked her, noticing it now that he was closer to her.

"It's complicated, I would prefer not to talk about it. Now you should eat before your food gets cold" she said leaving briefly to allow him to dress.

"That looks good" he said, noting how everything had been cut up for him.

"Take these" she said.

"What are they?" he asked.

"Painkillers, they are to be taken with food" she explained.

"Yes Mom" he said. "Meatloaf?" he guessed.

"With mash potatoes and peas. It's nothing special, Barret's teaching me how to cook, you'll meet him soon."

"So you'll be ready for marriage?" he guessed.

"Yes, I want to start our family early" she said.

"So you're a good cook, a future doctor and you seem like you'd make a good mother. He's a lucky guy" he said and wondered why she looked sad at what he said. Reno felt so comfortable around the girl and he couldn't say why. Then he realized; she didn't want anything from him. Tifa was a genuinely caring person such has he had never encountered in his life. He ate and then felt groggy.

"Did you drug me?" he asked her with suspicion in his voice.

"Don't be silly, it's a side effect of the painkillers. Let's put you back to bed, you need to heal so your body needs as much rest as possible. You're safe here, no one's going to hurt you and one of your colleagues will be here tomorrow to take you home so you can get proper medical attention" she said helping him into bed.

"I feel like I'm already in safe hands" he said as she fussed over him, trying to make him comfortable. "Perhaps if we run into each other again, I could take you to dinner just to thank you for taking care of me? I mean as friends. I don't mean as in a date. You obliviously are already involved with someone else" he said.

"His name is Cloud" she said.

"Cloud?" Reno groggily said, she didn't mean the dead eyed Cloud Strife, did she? Reno had seen him around and heard rumours about some kind of mental breakdown he had had after being a medical test subject.

"Yes he's my boyfriend. I would love to go to dinner with you, I feel like I know you already and we're going to be friends for years. Rest now Reno the TURK" Tifa said and impulsively kissed his cheek as his eyes closed and he surrendered himself into someone else's care for the first time in years.

Eight Years Later

Reno walked into Tifa's bar, they were both single and neither had ever married. Tifa quirked a smile at her friend. She could tell he was hung over.

"I guess you've come for a bit of the hair of the dog after last night? How fortunate for me that my bar's the closest one within stumbling distance of your place, yo" she teased him while she starting fixing him a drink without asking. Tifa knew about his past now and what he had done to get where he was today and accepted all of it. She didn't care that he had once been street punk and street slang still slipped into his vocabulary no matter how he tried to lose it, it was just a part of the man she'd known for a long time and she simply accepted him how he was. He wasn't perfect; he was Reno.

"I think I managed to kill off most of my brain cells last night" he complained putting his head down on the bar and shutting his eyes with a groan.

"Says the person who Rufus trusts to pilot his helicopter. Where's the little chippie you picked up last night?" she asked him as she stroked a hand down his back in sympathy.

"She went home to her husband" he explained. opening one vivid blue eye to look at her.

"You're shameless" she said with a chuckle, he never failed to amuse her despite the circumstances.

"Is Cloud here? Surprised you're open so early with your Lord and Master home" he playfully taunted her. "He didn't arrive?" he guessed at her sad look, feeling bad and took her hand.

"I guess he couldn't make it" she said, giving it a squeeze back before releasing it. .

"He'll be back, this is his home and he always comes back to you" Reno said in encouragement to his friend.

"True" she said.

"Who wouldn't want to come home to you? Not everyone's so fortunate to have someone so special to come home to" Reno said, putting a hand on her shoulder in support of her.

"You always know what to say to cheer me up" she said, putting her hand over his.

"You're a great lady, don't ever change" he said. "Have a drink with me" he suggested.

"It's kind of early" she said.

"Just one" he said giving her a persuasive smile that she could never resist.

"Okay" she said and poured herself one and went to sit beside him.

"To us, Tifa Lockhart the ex-AVALANCHE member" he said.

"To us, Reno the TURK" she said tapping glasses with him. So the wanted-to-be-doctor, turned bar owner and the street rat thug and gang member, turned TURK drank together.

Vincent had been having coffee but left money on his table to cover it and silently left so they would have some privacy. He wished they would hurry up and realize that they would be perfect together. Tifa's blindness would not allow her to see past Cloud, to see how much Reno actually cared about her and Reno simply knew her to be unavailable and would never admit his feelings for her as result. To know Tifa was to love her.

So she remained faithful and celibate while he went through women like tissue paper because he couldn't have the one woman he wanted.

Vincent sourly wondered if he would have to knock them out, steal their clothes and lock them in a room together, hopped up on the strongest aphrodisiacs he could find to get their relationship started. Vincent had certainly done worse things to people when he was a TURK.


End file.
